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EDIT: It was brought to my attention that I was asking two different questions.

What model do you believe best defines Warhammer 40,000.

Probably a space marine captain, or a veteran.

SM are the face of the franchise. I’d want to show a mainline marine, but something with a little more going on then a basic intercessor/tactical marine. At least for someone looking at it as a potential.

That’s a blind generic answer.

Actual answer is to ask them what about 40k has them in to the point where they are asking questions. Where did they hear about it, what drew them in? What factions/playstyles excite them? With those answers try to figure out what the coolest model to them would be. Point out a few options. Give a personalized response more likely to help a new player find their army.

Personal: chaplains or dreadnoughts. They really are the essence of 40k grimdark boiled down into model form.

 Nevelon wrote:
Probably a space marine captain, or a veteran.

SM are the face of the franchise. I’d want to show a mainline marine, but something with a little more going on then a basic intercessor/tactical marine. At least for someone looking at it as a potential.

That’s a blind generic answer.

Actual answer is to ask them what about 40k has them in to the point where they are asking questions. Where did they hear about it, what drew them in? What factions/playstyles excite them? With those answers try to figure out what the coolest model to them would be. Point out a few options. Give a personalized response more likely to help a new player find their army.

Personal: chaplains or dreadnoughts. They really are the essence of 40k grimdark boiled down into model form.

I don't think you can do it with one model. I'd grab a couple of things from each faction. A primarch and a (not Battle line, but still ubiquitous) Squad or its equivalent from each of the factions. An Avatar and some Dire Avengers. A Baneblade and an Ordnance battery.

Breton wrote:

I don't think you can do it with one model. I'd grab a couple of things from each faction. A primarch and a (not Battle line, but still ubiquitous) Squad or its equivalent from each of the factions. An Avatar and some Dire Avengers. A Baneblade and an Ordnance battery.

That’s not a bad idea for introducing a faction.

These guys are the core of your army
Here is your big centerpiece model

I might also add an everyday HQ, and an iconic special unit.

So for example, as an Ultramarine, Guiliman, an intercessor squad, captain, and a box of terminators.

You're asking the wrong person the wrong question.


There's no one single universal "everyone starts because of that single model" model out there. It doesn't exist.

If someone approaches and is interested then the best thing you can do is not project onto them; but investigate. Ask them. Find out what they do and don't know; tease out what they want from the game; what kind of things they like; their skill level in wargaming; or even if they've any interest in wargaming at all (they might be a builder or a painter).



Ask THEM and they will tell you information that can let you reach out and grasp a box and say "ok you like XYZ; here's a model that embodies all those things and here's an army which does the same etc...."

If you approach it with the idea of there being one master model and army and so forth then sure some will find that really easy to grasp; but they might also just not be interested. No point selling someone on Primaris and that super cool Primarch model if they are an ork player at heart; or if they want to play Xenos or if they REALLY like the gothic aspects etc...

Well, since the entire game is, always has been, & always will be, centered on the Space Marines....

Maybe Azrael w/ helmet, the ideal space marine aesthetic.

He encapsulates both the over-the-top religiousness as well as the 'This is a gene-crafted 3 meter big monster that can kill you in seconds but was human once' of the space marines

It was Space Crusade that really turned me on to 40K, and of course HeroQuest that turned me on to Space Crusade.

Whilst the Space Marines looked cool? It was the variety of space baddies that really made it stick. Gretchin, Orks, Chaos Marines, Genestealers, Androids, Chaos Dreadnought. All demonstrated their parent army’s aesthetic.

 Shadox wrote:

Spoiler:

He encapsulates both the over-the-top religiousness as well as the 'This is a gene-crafted 3 meter big monster that can kill you in seconds but was human once' of the space marines

One of the best models made. Classic

 Nevelon wrote:

 Shadox wrote:

Spoiler:

He encapsulates both the over-the-top religiousness as well as the 'This is a gene-crafted 3 meter big monster that can kill you in seconds but was human once' of the space marines

One of the best models made. Classic

And yet I'd never want to advertise the Space Marines with that model. It's very gothic and grimdark and looks very cool - but as soon as you step away from it every other marine is very clean, neat, smooth metal and honestly doesn't really have anything much gothic about them. If someone REALLY liked the gothic themes of that model they'd want Sisters of Battle more so than Space Marines at large.

 Overread wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:

 Shadox wrote:

Spoiler:

He encapsulates both the over-the-top religiousness as well as the 'This is a gene-crafted 3 meter big monster that can kill you in seconds but was human once' of the space marines

One of the best models made. Classic

And yet I'd never want to advertise the Space Marines with that model. It's very gothic and grimdark and looks very cool - but as soon as you step away from it every other marine is very clean, neat, smooth metal and honestly doesn't really have anything much gothic about them. If someone REALLY liked the gothic themes of that model they'd want Sisters of Battle more so than Space Marines at large.

Exactly. To me, chaplains are peak 40k. They are the whole grimdark insanity wrapped up into one model. But I’d not lead with that to a new player (unless I knew that was what they were here for)

This is one of those threads where the question asked in the title and in the body are different enough to change the answer.

I mean there are many models but i would make a short list :

-Triumph of St Catherine
-Asmodai
-Helbrecht
-Lictor
-Klovis the Redeemer

 Nevelon wrote:

This is one of those threads where the question asked in the title and in the body are different enough to change the answer.

You are correct. I fixed the issue and reworded the body to match the subject line.

i think the model that best defines 40k is the noise marine. it's silly and weird, but that's what 40k is. if you can't enjoy noise marines, then i don't know what you see if 40k

the redemptor dread also feels very 40k to me, but a bit less so than noise marines

Big Mek with Shokk attack gun.

It's an Ork. It's a space Ork. He has a stupidly huge gun. If you learn what the gun does it becomes even better. Peak 40K. It's also one of the coolest models if not the coolest model in the range.

Another option would be Thunderwolf cavalry. A Space Marine. But a Viking. Riding a Wolf. Probably also carrying a shield and a Hammer when running against a gunline. Just all the silliness of 40K in one model.

The old box dreadnought I think is a wonderful illustration of the game - boxy aesthetic, chonky, slightly silly, awesome grimdark background.

Stompa.

Space Marines may be the face of the game, but they aren't very unique - how many settings have superhuman soldiers in powered armour?

I'd rather choose some crazy grimdark gothic weirdo, religious fanatic with scrolls, cherubs, candles, augmentations. Probably an Ordo Hereticus model - too many of fitting ones to easily chose one , from the Throne of Judgement to the bolter-carrying cherub servitor.

 BorderCountess wrote:
Stompa.

I would never have guess that would be your response.

What? A Stompa feels like a pretty good representation of 40k's over-the-topness.

 BorderCountess wrote:
What? A Stompa feels like a pretty good representation of 40k's over-the-topness.

I was expecting a more spikey response.

Nahhh, Mega Gargant for maximum DAKKA

ccs wrote:
Well, since the entire game is, always has been, & always will be, centered on the Space Marines....

Spoiler:

Probably a Space Marine.

Genestealer / Ork boy with big shoota / Chaplain / Big Mek

I'd say something like this. Not just a space marine, but a space marine sergeant armed with sword (chainsword would be even better). Preferably with the iconic helmet, and if possible a back banner. Although the back banners might be out of fashion today, they reinforce the dissonance between sci fi and primitive warfare joined together. It should most likely be an ultramarine paintjob for extra brand recognition

There was one miniature that sold 40K to me and that was the original beakie. The first Space Marine was the first 40K miniature I saw at GW and I thought it was amazing, a great update of the old 15mm Imperials from Laserburn. At that point I'd only had a quick proxy shootout with the play test rules so I didn't know if I would like the game but I knew I was going to be buying lots of the miniatures.

These days I'd say that a Commissar would be my miniature of choice. It encapsulates the retro-far-future idea harking back to the uncaring state slaughter of the Soviet army with cartoonish Sci Fi trappings. It is the spirit of "drive closer, I want to hit them with my sword" or "your missile launcher is no match for my shovel" that is the absurdity of 40K.

A Leman Russ tank with a tank commander in a peaked cap hanging out of the turret hatch waving a chainsword.
drive_me_closer.jpg

Thinking further?

I’d show people the art of the setting. Gorgeous as the majority of the models are, it’s the artwork that’s the most evocative, showing the apocalyptic scale of conflict, the mind boggling numbers of man and beast fed into the grinder every hour.

And there’s pretty much a style for everyone. From Ian Miller and John Blanche’s setting defining early work, right up to the most modern digital creations, and everything in between.

I'm surprised no one has suggested this: